A Day in the Life
by ApersonkindofPerson
Summary: With no one else remaining, Tsuna finds himself being pressured into becoming boss. Desperate for a way out, he and his guardians search for the only person who can help them. Will they succeed, or will they end up causing the mafia's downfall instead?
1. A Disastrous Trip

Alright I know I really should be doing my book report right now, but I can't resist! The idea for this literally came to me in a dream, not even kidding. It'll be a little different than anything I've ever written before... Anyway, I hope you guys like this story!

Read and Review!

Mistakes are mine, this is unbetaed... if you see one don't hesistate to inform me! :D

**Unfortunately, I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn. If I did, I would elaborate on Reborn's past more... but that's just me I guess.**

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><p><strong>A Day in the Life<strong>

**Chapter One**

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Tsuna groaned loudly, slumping in his chair.

"I've already said this a thousand times, Reborn. I absolutely refuse to be the next boss!" he protested.

Said infant proceeded to respond with a roundhouse kick to the poor teenager's head. Tsuna fell to the floor, clutching his head and whining about his home tutor's sadism. Reborn flawlessly landed on his desk before commencing the usual lecture.

"And how many times have I told _you, _Dame-Tsuna, that you don't really have a choice? There's no one else. The Ninth's sons were all killed and Xanxus doesn't have Vongola blood." the Arcobaleno said matter-of-factly. Reborn paused for a moment before speaking once again. "Now, you and your guardians are going to Italy to see the Ninth and that's final. **Understand**?"

Tsuna, realizing the lack of options, nodded miserably. He picked himself up from the floor and brushed off the nonexistent dust from his clothing.

"Alright then, let's go to Italy."

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><p>A while later, Tsuna and most of his guardians had gathered at the airport. It was a good thing Reborn had decided not to go.<p>

He'd hoped that his guardians would be too busy like his tutor or just didn't want to go. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

When he'd called Yamamoto, the swordsman had laughed cheerfully and said it sounded like fun. Gokudera had of course yelled enthusiastically into the phone that it was an honor and he wouldn't miss it for the world. Ryohei only agreed to go because he'd heard of a new form of (EXTREME!) boxing in Italy. Lambo had demanded to tag along although Tsuna originally hadn't planned to bring him, and as for Hibari and Mukuro, both had refused to travel with him and left for Italy by themselves. Chrome, of course, had gone with Mukuro and his gang.

Tsuna sighed heavily and rubbed his temple in an effort to soothe the beginnings of a headache. It seemed he was getting a lot of these lately. Right now, they were all in line waiting to get their bags checked.

"Sir I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to come with me," the security guard said sharply to Gokudera.

The ill-tempered bomber scowled and decided to comply with the officer's wishes just this once. He turned back to look at Tsuna and waved. "Don't worry about me Tenth! Nothing can keep us apart for very long!" the silver haired teen shouted jovially.

Tsuna slapped a hand to his forehead and groaned. Gokudera had forgotten to remove all the explosives from his body! Great. This was certainly helping his headache.

"Haha! Don't worry Tsuna!" Yamamoto said slapping a hand to the brunette's back. "The guard probably thought Gokudera's toys were real! I don't blame him, they look really lifelike!"

"Tsuna! Lambo-san wants candy!" the five year old shrieked from across the room. Thankfully, Lambo and Ryohei had managed to check-in without any problems.

Tsuna took several deep breaths to calm himself. It wouldn't do for the future Vongola Tenth to die from stress would it? He would forever go down in history as Dame-Tsuna!

"Everyone calm down," he said in an eerily quiet voice. "This is what we're going to do. First, we will finish checking in. After that we will _calmly _wait for the plane. We will give these nice people _no more problems alright_?"

All his guardians momentarily stopped their roughhousing to gape at the normally timid male and nod in fear. Even Yamamoto raised an eyebrow in surprise. Their boss sure could be scary sometimes.

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><p>While they were waiting to board, Yamamoto looked around curiously.<p>

"Hey Tsuna, where's Gokudera? Did he ever get back?" he questioned.

Tsuna shrugged as he tried to steer a very hyper Lambo away from the vending machines. It'd been a terrible idea to give in to the cow's requests and buy him candy, they soon found out. Tsuna peered past the rows of empty seats and trashcans to see if the bomber was there, but to no avail. Gokudera was nowhere to be found.

"We are now ready to board flight 27 bound to Sicily." the announcer's voice rang out. "Those with children may now board first."

At the mention of children, Lambo laughed maniacally and raced toward the counter.

"I knew I'd go first! Lambo-san is the king!" he cheered. Crowds of people grumbled as the immature mafioso weaved his way past a labyrinth of bodies.

"Lambo, wait to the extreme!" Ryohei shouted as he gave chase to the child. Tsuna gave yet another deep sigh and followed the two towards the front of the line, ignoring the disgruntled murmurs from the families who were supposed to be first.

The woman at the counter looked a little startled at the odd group but tried to hide it as she ran the usual routine. "May I please see your tickets?" she questioned.

Tsuna handed her the tickets and to his surprise, they managed to get into the plane and take their seats without any further mayhem.

He leaned back into the seat and relaxed. "Maybe the rest of this trip won't be so bad," he said hopefully. Beside him, Yamamoto laughed and replied amiably, "A little quiet every now and then is nice too!"

The newfound peace wouldn't last long, however. As the plane's doors closed and the rest of the passengers got settled, the pilot's voice was heard through the plane's speakers.

"What did I tell you Tenth? Nothing can keep us apart!" Gokudera said cheerfully. The other passengers looked around confused. That didn't sound like a pilot!

Tsuna slumped onto his seat and covered his face with his hands. Of all the things that could've happened why this? Did someone up there hate him this much?

His self-proclaimed right hand man's voice echoed from the speakers once again. "Okay! Everyone who isn't with Tenth, get the hell out!" he yelled. "You heard me! If you aren't Vongola, scram!"

The passengers, mistaking this as a kidnapping and hijacking attempt, quickly panicked. Inside the plane, utter chaos reigned. Mothers screamed for help, fathers hatched escape plans, and children surveyed the disorder with excitement. The rest of Tsuna's guardians however, sat there calmly. Well, for the most part.

Lambo bounced up and down on the worn seat and began complaining again. "Why does Stupidera get to drive? Lambo-san could do it much better!" At this, Ryohei picked him up and told him to be extremely patient.

Soon enough, the in-flight stewardesses came out of the cockpit and struggled to find a way through. Once every stewardess was at all of the possible exits, they proceeded to open them. The unruly crowd quickly quieted and waited for them to speak.

One of the women looked around nervously before managing to stutter a few words. "Could all civilian passengers please calmly make your way to the nearest exit? We are terribly sorry for the inconvenience. It appears we have some... important guests that need to borrow the plane."

As soon as she finished talking, all hell seemed to break loose once again. The passengers, sensing something potentially dangerous to them was happening, flocked out of the aircraft by the dozens. They hurriedly took their baggage and scrambled back to the airport. When the plane had emptied and all the exits were shut again, Tsuna shut his eyes tightly and sighed for the millionth time that day. There went the peace and his sanity.

"Wow Octopus-head! You managed to get us a private plane! Extremely impressive!" Ryohei exclaimed as he ran up and down the aisle.

Yamamoto looked around the deserted plane and chuckled. "This is great and all Gokudera, but do you actually know how to fly one of these things?" The rain attribute peered down at the runways through the windows. Nobody had come out to yell at them yet. For the most part, the airport and its runways were unoccupied.

The door to the pilot's cabin suddenly burst open at Yamamoto's question and Gokudera emerged, looking pissed off as usual. He stomped over to where Tsuna and Yamamoto were sitting before scowling and jabbing a finger at the clueless rain guardian's chest. "Of course I know, you stupid idiot! As the Tenth's right hand man, I am required to know these things!"

The dark-haired boy smiled in response and replied, "If you say so!"

Tsuna fiddled with his thumbs for a moment and cleared his throat. "Gokudera-kun, are you sure this is legal? Are you actually licensed to pilot a plane?" he asked nervously. If they were to get in trouble here, the Vongola would probably hear about it and so would Reborn. That only meant even more torturous training and abuse for him!

The bomber flashed a grin at his precious boss and gave him a thumbs-up. "There's no need to worry! I already told them we were from the Vongola family! Plus, you don't really need a license to drive these things anyway." Without waiting for a reply, he turned around and began walking back to the pilot cabin to start their flight.

Tsuna frowned and bit his lip anxiously. If Gokudera said he knew how to fly a plane, it was okay right? If so, then why did he have this feeling that something bad was going to happen?

"Gokudera-kun!" he called out, "Where exactly did you learn to fly a plane?" The sound of his voice could barely be heard over his family's chatter and the sound of the engine turning on. Thankfully, Gokudera managed to hear him and answered the query as the plane took off.

"Leave it to me Tenth! I've played just about every piloting game there is for the Nintendo! I've got lots of experience! Plus, I've also gotten pretty good if I do say so myself!" he said through the speakers.

For the rest of the flight, all that could be heard was the roar of the plane and the faint sound of Tsuna's screaming.

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><p>After three horrendous hours full of loop de loops and barrel rolls, the borrowed plane finally landed at the airport where a limo and several bodyguards were waiting for their arrival.<p>

"Here comes the Decimo," one of the guards announced. "Has a secure perimeter been set up around the area?"

The other guards nodded and prepared themselves for their future leader's entrance as the stairs were taken to the exits. When the door opened, they all stiffened and tried to look as professional as possible. But to their surprise, Tsuna stumbled out of the plane, practically fell down the stairs, collapsed on the ground, and began kissing it fervently.

"Land! How I missed you!" the boy cried out in sheer joy. His guardians gathered around him, a few of them looking quite pale and shaken up. Lambo looked the worst. The unfortunate cow's normally fluffy afro had almost doubled in size and was frizzy while snot and something that looked like barf stained his clothing.

"Decimo, are you alright?" the guards asked as they rushed over to the group. "What happened?"

Tsuna gave them a strained smile and waved off their concern. "It's fine really. We had a little turbulence on the way here is all."

"Tenth! Tenth! How was my piloting?" Gokudera asked eagerly as he ran over to join them. The rest of the Decimo family looked away from the dynamite user and coughed awkwardly.

Tsuna gulped and gave his friends a pleading look. When it became apparent that no one was going to help him this time, the teenager sighed and flashed the eager storm an obviously fake grin. "Th-thank you for the ride Gokudera-kun! It was great!" he stammered.

Said person's face immediately brightened at the words of praise coming from his boss. You could practically see his tail wagging in happiness.

"Excuse me Decimo, we really should head back to the mansion now. I believe you and the boss have important matters to discuss," one of the guards interjected.

"Of course! I nearly forgot! Okay guys, let's go!" Tsuna said as he followed their escorts to the limousine that would take them to the infamous Vongola HQ.

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><p><strong>Well? What do you think? I'd like to know whether you loved it, liked it, or hated it so please drop me a review if you have the time!<strong>

**For those of you who want to know, there won't be a lot of OCs in this story. However, I may invent a few character's backstories for the plot's sake...**

**Hope you enjoyed!**

**-ApkP**


	2. Startling Revelations

I am back with another chapter! OH YEA! I was originally going to post this on either Tsuna or Reborn's birthday but I ended up being too busy. :( Oh well. Enjoy the update anyway!

**Katekyo Hitman Reborn belongs to Akira Amano. I gain no monetary profit from this work of fiction.**

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><p>The ancient oak doors of Vongola mansion opened to Tsuna and his family, revealing spacious hallways and an elegant staircase in the very center.<p>

Maids and butlers scuttled about, doing their assigned tasks. A butler that Tsuna recognized paused to give them a nod before continuing his duties. On their way to the parlor, many of these employees paused to gain a fleeting glimpse of their future employers.

At the group's destination sat one of the Ninth's guardians. Although his eyes were warm and friendly, his posture suggested otherwise. Whatever they were here for, it was serious.

Tsuna frowned and tried to remember his name. Something the third?

The man stood and offered a hand to Tsuna. "Welcome, Sawada Tsunayoshi. Allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Ganauche III. Are you enjoying your stay here so far?" he questioned.

"Pleased to meet you sir. It seems very nice here," Tsuna answered politely as he shook the offered hand. He couldn't afford to upset or offend these kinds of people. Who knows what they might do to him!

He cast a curious look around the parlor. An assortment of valuables were neatly placed atop mahogany shelves. Located next to the window was an extremely old table and portraits of Primo and his guardians lined the walls. If he and his guardians were to live here, many of these priceless artifacts would probably be destroyed. He'd much rather live in Namimori where everything was familiar and not so dangerous!

"Kufufu Tsunayoshi, it's been quite a while," a voice from one of the dark corners chuckled. "Why so shy?"

Tsuna yelped and jumped back in fear when he recognized his mist guardian, Mukuro. He quickly cowered behind Gokudera and shut his eyes tightly. Even though he'd already beaten him once, Mukuro still creeped him out. No one was quite sure which side the pineapple-haired illusionist stood on.

"Hiiieee! Please don't possess me!" Tsuna shrieked, covering his eyes. At the brunette's spineless behavior, Mukuro smirked and continued to insult his "boss."

"Still a coward I see. How will you ever become a suitable boss for me to possess, Tsunayoshi?" he leered.

Gokudera scowled and took out several sticks of dynamite. "How dare you insult the Tenth you filthy bastard!" Tsuna shrieked in terror again when Gokudera lighted the explosives.

"Gokudera-kun, please don't! Think of the damage you'll cause!"

"Octopus-head don't do it! The explosions would be too extreme!" Ryohei bellowed. He rushed over to where the temperamental storm guardian stood and threw the dynamite out the window. Outside, several gardeners scrambled to find safety as the scattered bombs went off in different areas.

Tsuna gulped as he watched people outside screaming and attempting to put the fires out. They hadn't even been here for an hour yet and the garden was already destroyed!

A murderous aura suddenly surfaced from behind one of the plush armchairs. "Herbivores. You have disturbed the peace and are crowding. Prepare to be bitten to death," Hibari seethed.

He stood from the chair and pulled out his dreaded tonfas before pausing to stare at Mukuro. Hibari stiffened and scowled deeply. Apparently he hadn't noticed his archrival sitting there when he'd entered the room.

"Kufufu... hello again Kyoya-kun!"

Before the bloodthirsty prefect could respond, the illusionist ran to the open window and jumped out, his trademark laugh echoing behind him.

Hibari glared venomously at the window before turning to face the room's occupants. "You herbivores aren't worth my time. The one who needs to be bitten to death here is that accursed pineapple herbivore," he ground out. He abruptly turned on his heel and walked out, his coat swaying and the ever faithful Hibird following behind him.

Once his most dangerous guardians had left, Tsuna came out from his hiding spot behind Gokudera and released the breath he'd been holding. "Those two sure are scary!" he whimpered.

Ganauche, who'd seen the whole thing, raised an eyebrow. This scrawny boy who couldn't even control his own subordinates was supposed to lead the Vongola someday? If the legendary Reborn thought so highly of him, then the boy must be more powerful than he let on, he mused.

"Pardon me, young Vongola," the ninth-generation lightning guardian said as he bowed and exited the parlor. Once the door had closed and the sound of retreating footsteps faded, Tsuna turned to his rowdy friends and shushed them.

"Everyone be quiet!" he begged. "You all have to behave! We want to make a good impression remember?"

The rambunctious crowd eventually noticed their stressed leader's pleas and fell silent. Out of the corner of their eye, the others saw Gokudera glowering and holding up a stick of dynamite threateningly.

"Yes boss," they echoed in unison. Tsuna failed to notice the nervous tremble in his family's voices.

The sky attribute smiled and sighed in relief. "Good," he breathed out. "Now all that's left to do is to wait for the Ninth."

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><p>"But boss! Are you absolutely certain that Sawada Tsunayoshi has what it takes to replace you?" the hotheaded man protested.<p>

In front of the lightning user sat the current boss, Timoteo. The elderly man directed a sharp look at the youngest member of his inner circle before responding.

"Ganauche, we've already had this talk. I want Tsunayoshi-kun to replace me because I know that he will succeed where I and our predecessors failed: that boy and his friends will restore Vongola to its former glory and bring back its original values."

Timoteo stood and made his way to the door. Turning around, he motioned for his faithful subordinate to follow. "Now that that's settled, we shouldn't keep Tsunayoshi-kun and his friends waiting any longer!" he said cheerfully.

Ganauche grumbled and strode down the corridors after his boss. These brats better be worthy of all this respect.

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><p>At the sound of the door opening once again, all of Tsuna's guardians scrambled to find their seats and regain their formal composures.<p>

Ryohei struggled to keep Lambo seated as the tired child squirmed in the boxer's arms. Yamamoto, who had been oddly reserved since they'd arrived at the mansion, continued to sit there quietly. Beside him, the young bomber kept casting the swordsman discreet glances.

"Something is wrong with that baseball idiot," Gokudera thought. "He looks too serious. Not that I care anyway."

The Ninth entered first, with Ganauche trailing behind him. For some reason, the latter looked very displeased about something as he leaned against the wall. Timoteo took a seat the desk near the window and cleared his throat.

"It's so nice to see everyone again!" the don said happily. He beamed when the others mumbled their agreement and proceeded speaking.

"Now Tsunayoshi-kun, do you know why I've called all of you here?"

Said person shook his head cluelessly. "I'm afraid I don't know, Ninth," the boy replied timidly.

He wracked his brain for any possible answers. His grades and fighting skills had actually improved and nothing was really going on. He inwardly gasped when he realized something. What if they'd already heard about the airplane fiasco?

The teenager squeaked and waved his arms about frantically. "If this is about the incident at the airport, I'm terribly sorry! It'll never happen again, I promise!"

The two older men cast Tsuna an odd look. This kid was one of a kind, for sure. He certainly didn't inherit much of Iemitsu's traits. "What incident Tsunayoshi-kun?" Timoteo questioned.

Tsuna stopped and sat there with his mouth wide open in shock. He was saved! Struggling to regain his previously collected appearance, the boy fidgeted and coughed awkwardly. "It-it's nothing. N-Never mind," he stammered.

Ignoring his successor's obvious guilt about something, Timoteo clasped his hands together and resumed speaking. "Anyway, I've brought you all here to discuss your future in the Vongola. Now I'm well aware of your reluctance at becoming a leader, Tsunayoshi, but I'm afraid there's no other choice."

Tsuna promptly fell out of his seat in surprise. "What?"

He picked himself up from the floor and began to pace across the room in quick, panicked strides. "I can't be boss! What'll happen to my life in Japan?"

His family crowded around him and attempted to calm their hysterical friend. Timoteo ignored the boy's blatant unease and resumed the rest of the upsetting news.

"As for your life in Namimori, I'm sorry to say that you'll have to leave that behind. After you graduate and pass Reborn's training, you and your guardians will have to move to Italy," the Vongola elder continued.

The group looked up with a few looking happy and some not so much. Gokudera looked like he'd just jizzed himself in happiness while Yamamoto just sat there silently. However if you looked close enough, a small frown could be seen on the dark-haired adolescent's face. Ryohei stood up suddenly, a sleeping Lambo in his arms.

"Hold on! What'll happen to my sister? Will she be able to extremely come with us?" the normally sunny athlete demanded.

"If she is one of those who know about the mafia, then yes she can come," Ganauche answered. "However, she and any others you bring along will have to live at here with everyone else and help out in some way."

The overprotective brother nodded his approval and sat back down. That was good enough for him.

Beside Ryohei, Tsuna sat there scowling at the polished marble floor. For once, the boy looked genuinely angry. He looked up and stared at Timoteo with determined eyes full of defiance.

"No. I refuse."

The old man glanced at Tsuna in disbelief. After all this time, he was still refusing? "Tsunayoshi-kun, I don't think you understand. There are no other options left," he said struggling to keep his voice level.

The brunette glared and spoke again. "I don't care. I will do whatever I have to in order to escape my fate. All I know is that if I am forced to become boss, my friends and I won't stop until the entire mafia is destroyed."

The room fell silent at Tsuna's frosty declaration. The slumbering Lambo stirred, almost as if he sensed the tense atmosphere. Ganauche and Timoteo cast each other incredulous glances. They hadn't been expecting that.

The thick tension in the room was suddenly interrupted by the sound of Timoteo's chucking. After a while, Ganauche joined in and the duo were soon laughing uproariously. Tsuna's guardians looked at each other uneasily. What was going on?

"Hoho, you're quite the joker Tsunayoshi-kun!" Timoteo chortled. "It's almost impossible to refuse the title of boss!"

Tsuna grasped at the loophole the old man had unintentionally left. This was one argument he couldn't afford to lose. "Almost? That means that there is a chance, no matter how small!" he argued back. At this observation, Timoteo's chuckles slowly died down and a solemn look overtook his features.

"Only one person in Vongola history has managed to run away from their fate as boss, Tsunayoshi-kun. It is said that doing so nearly cost him his life several times and completely destroyed his relationships with his family and friends. I suggest you not do the same."

Despite the ominous warning, a flicker of hope and excitement flashed in Tsuna's chocolate orbs.

"So he actually did it? How? What's his name? Is he still alive?"

The ninth Vongola boss shook his head and sighed deeply. "You fool. You're actually considering this, aren't you?"

He was met with a pair of eyes that showed no signs of backing down. When it came right down to it, the young Japanese/Italian certainly could be as stubborn as his father.

Tsuna looked at his family for their opinions. When he saw no obvious signs of disagreement, the brunette smiled and nodded at Timoteo. "I said I would do whatever it takes, right?" he answered determinedly.

The aged don frowned and traced the patterns carved onto his desk. Finally, he heaved another sigh and surrendered to the younger male's unbreakable resolve.

"No one actually knows how he did it, but I will give you his name. Just his name, do you understand? Nothing else."

Tsuna frowned a little and protested. "But wait, aren't you going to tell us if this person is alive?"

Timoteo stared at the opposite wall intently and fiddled with his fingers anxiously. "I'm afraid that he is no longer among the living, Tsunayoshi-kun," he answered.

Almost right away, Tsuna knew that something was definitely off. Thank God for his hyper intuition. "You're lying! He's still alive!" he crowed triumphantly. Timoteo cast a dark look at the wall. Was he that bad at lying?

Tsuna brought his hands down heavily on the desk. Leaning forward so that they were face to face, he looked at the gray-haired man earnestly. "His name?"

Timoteo frowned once again and stared directly at his chosen heir. "Renato. He was the Seventh's youngest child. Although his sister was born first, the Seventh wanted him to inherit the family business instead."

Tsuna glanced out at the window thoughtfully. Slowly but surely, an escape plan was forming in his head. "So the only one to succeed was the Settimo's son, Renato. And somehow, he's still out there somewhere," he mused.

Gokudera was the first of Tsuna's uncharacteristically quiet guardians to voice his opinion on all of this. "How do you know all of this, Nono-san? Did you personally know him?"

Timoteo shook his head and replied, "It's an old story passed down to me by my mother, who was the Seventh's eldest daughter. I only heard it once, when she was at her deathbed."

He furrowed his brows and cast a searching gaze at the members of the tenth generation. "I never got to meet him, so I didn't really know him, but I have a feeling that my mother didn't tell me the entire story."

"You never extremely saw what he looked like?" the enthusiastic boxer interjected. The latter shook his head in response.

After a brief moment of heavy silence, Tsuna stood once again and fixed his now slightly wrinkled suit. The despair and anger was no longer evident on his face. Instead, there was a mischievous glint in his eyes. He was definitely up to something.

"We really should get going now. I can't afford to miss any more of Reborn's training. Thank you for the intriguing information," he said as he shook his senior's hand.

The duo watched them file out the door one by one. "I wonder what you'll do now Tsunayoshi?" Timoteo pondered.

The experienced leader was so busy mulling over what had happened that he failed to notice the intrigued and calculating look in his lightning guardian's eyes.

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><p>Back at the hotel, Tsuna and his guardians had gathered at the lobby to discuss the day's happenings.<p>

By now, Lambo had awoken and was currently wreaking havoc in the hotel somewhere. The oblivious sun guardian kept on arguing with Gokudera as the latter nodded absentmindedly and cast brief glances at the mute baseball fanatic sitting far away from everyone else.

The exhausted brunette grimaced and tried to tune out the ongoing conversations.

"What kind of person was this Renato, and how did he manage to succeed?" he thought distractedly.

While lost in his own thoughts, the scrawny male failed to notice that he wasn't the only one not participating in the discussion. In the corner, Yamamoto was seated in a distant couch looking anxious. His normally laid-back features were tense and he exerted a serious aura. Every now and then, he would take his phone out of his pocket and stare at it, as if internally debating whether or not to call someone.

But of course, the aptly nicknamed Dame-Tsuna failed to notice his rain guardian's odd behavior as he continued to dwell on his biggest question.

"Where could this Renato be?"

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><p><strong>For those who don't know:<strong>

**Settimo= Seventh**

**Nono= Ninth**

**Don't worry guys! Renato won't end up taking over the story like a Gary-Sue would! He will play a vital role though... Btw, next chapter is where this story will begin to branch into two separate plots. Fufufu... and so it thickens...**

**My goodness, what could have our favorite baseball idiot this flustered? :D If you have any theories on this or Renato's identity, post 'em! I'd like to hear about it!**

**Love it? Like it? Hate it? OR Any suggestions?**

**Review! I'm interested in what you guys think!**


	3. An Introduction

Another update for all of you! My god, almost 4000 words. :D

Thank you so much for all the reviews, favorites, and alerts! It seems that quite a few of you guys had this idea... Hmm very odd don't you think?

Anyway like I said, the story branches out and explores the past here. Kinda like Holes, if you've ever read it... But never fear! Next chapter will be back to Tsuna and Co.!

**To brightonlovesfrance: I don't know if you got my PM or not (since you didn't reply) but, yea! I'd be honored if you would be my beta for this story! It would make my day. So please send me a reply in a PM or a review and I'll send chapters to you through DocX or something...**

**...Enjoy. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own KHR!**

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><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>

**An Introduction**

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><p><em><strong>Sicily, Italy<strong>_

_**1967**_

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..

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><p>Ten year old Renato Di Capo scowled as he stalked down the humongous halls of Vongola mansion and glared at those he caught looking at him.<p>

Maids and butlers alike cowered in fear at their intimidating young master's wrath. It was clear that the heir was not in a good mood today.

He stomped up the grand staircase and made his way to his room. Moments later, the sound of a door slamming echoed throughout the mansion.

"Damn it all!" he shouted as he kicked the side of his four-poster bed and collapsed on top of it. It wasn't fair! As he lay there staring up at the ceiling, his thoughts drifted back to his father's upsetting news.

He'd been outside playing with Daniela, his older sister, when a mafioso had interrupted them to escort him to his father's office. Once there, he had fidgeted nervously in his seat, thinking he'd done something wrong. Settimo just smiled at him and proudly declared that Renato was the prime candidate for his successor.

He really hated his life right now. Sure it was nice being the boss's only son and all, but in the back of his mind the black-haired boy knew that he wasn't cut out to take over the famiglia.

What he was going to do with his life, he wasn't quite sure yet. However, his Hyper Intuition told him one thing: If he became boss, Vongola would probably go down the drain.

It's not because he's weak, mind you. In fact, he currently holds the record at Mafia Academy for most trips to the principal since he beats the other kids up all the time.

Renato's only weakness? He has the social skills of a rock. He's certain that nearly all of the mafia executives he'd met throughout his life thought that he was a quiet, sadistic little prick.

In direct contrast to his aloof and violent personality, Daniela was charismatic and always knew exactly what to say, two qualities required for a don-in-training. She charmed everyone she met with her bright smile and humor. His sister was truly a daddy's girl in every possible sense.

Renato frowned at his thoughts and sat up on the bed. Maybe some fresh air would help him calm down.

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><p>A gleeful smile made its way onto his face as he walked in the crowded streets of Sicily.<p>

No one had noticed him sneaking out. And the best part? He'd even remembered to bring along his favorite disguise, a fedora given to him as a Christmas present! Now, he could wander around town without anyone recognizing him!

"Oof!" someone grunted as they fell to the ground. Oops. He probably should've been paying more attention to his surroundings.

Refusing to admit his error (he was practically mafia royalty, dammit!), Renato extended an arm and chalked up the accident as the stranger's fault. "Watch where you're going, _idiota_," he grumbled as he helped the person up. His eyebrows raised in surprise as he took a closer took at the individual he'd literally bumped into.

That hat. More specifically, the crest on the hat. He'd know it anywhere.

As the Seventh's child, he knew all the other mafia famiglias in Italy and their logos by heart. He quickly identified this one as the Giglio Nero's.

The Giglio Nero and the Vongola were pretty good allies. But for some reason, their relationship had become strained recently. His father had told him not to associate with any of them.

The girl frowned at him and stuck out her tongue. "Meanie! I'm no _idiota_! Do you know who you're talking to?"

Renato cocked his head to the side, amused. "You're from the Giglio Nero, the third most powerful famiglia in Italy. Do _you_ know who you're talking to?" he said bluntly.

The girl gave him an odd look and burst into peals of light laughter. "You're funny! What's your name?"

He debated with himself for a few seconds. Should he give her his real name or a fake one? Shrugging, he decided it wouldn't hurt anyone.

"Renato Di Capo. And your name, _signorina_?"

She gave him a brilliant smile and offered a petite hand. "Pleased to meet you Renato! I'm Luce Giglio Nero!"

With the introductions aside, Luce looked up at the clear sky thoughtfully. That name sounded awfully familiar...

She gasped. "You're the heir to the Vongola!"

Renato shrugged carelessly and stared at her coolly. "So what? I know you're the Giglio Nero heir too."

"Good point."

There was an awkward silence after that. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and started walking away. Hmph. If she wasn't going to talk, he might as well leave. Just before he was out of earshot, his new acquaintance spoke up again.

"What're you doing out here alone?" Luce questioned curiously. She scanned the busy street filled with vendors, shoppers, and crooks for the familiar sight of an escort. However, there were no other mafioso to be found.

Renato smirked. "I snuck out. What about you?"

She flashed him a mischievous grin. "I got bored and left my bodyguards!" she replied cheerfully. She ran to catch up with his quick strides and blushed when she tripped and he caught her.

"Che. You're not only an _idiota_, but you're a klutz too," Renato grumbled. He grunted in annoyance when Luce hit him playfully. After several minutes of walking, he suddenly stopped and turned around to look at her.

"Why are you following me?"

The young heiress smiled yet again and answered, "I think you're interesting! Wanna be friends Renato?"

To say that he was taken aback would be the understatement of the year. No one had ever willingly wanted to be his friend before. In fact, he didn't even have a lot of friends.

In Colonello and Lal's case, their parents brought them to Vongola HQ frequently and forced them to play together until the three were practically inseparable.

None of the girls that Daniela played with piqued his interest very much. Although, those girls seemed _very _interested in him.

He fought to keep the smile from his face as he made an indifferent gesture and began walking again. "Do what you want. Either way, I could care less."

Luce grinned and skipped to his side. "Hooray! Let's go to the park _amico_!" She exclaimed as she grabbed him by the arm and dragged him along.

Renato ignored Luce's chatter and the coos from the townspeople for a moment to stare at the unbridled joy radiating from her form as a faint blush crept up to his cheeks.

She wasn't that ugly. So perhaps making new friends wasn't as bad as he thought it was.

* * *

><p>Five hours later, he crept past the doors of Vongola mansion as soundlessly as possible. Unfortunately, a butler spotted him and shouted frantically, "Master Di Capo! Thank goodness! We've been looking all over for you!"<p>

Fantastic. Now the entire base knew he was back.

Daniela poked her head out from one of the rooms and laughed when she spotted him. "Where've you been little brother?" She asked as she ruffled his jet black hair fondly.

Renato shot her a dirty look and swatted her hand away. He wasn't five! Why couldn't other people see that! "I've been... out." he replied lamely.

Daniela seemed to pick up on the hint and her sly grin grew even wider. Glancing at the distressed butler from the corner of her eye, she grabbed him by the arm and towed him along just like Luce had earlier.

When they were alone in a vacant room, she studied him carefully before coming to a conclusion. "Something good happened to you while you were out."

Renato shrugged and studied the paintings on the wall with fake interest. "Not really. It was just a weirdo following me around all day."

Daniela's brow furrowed and a protective frown appeared on her face. "Are they bothering you? If they are, I can take care of them," she said ominously. The threat hung heavy in the air as her eyes narrowed dangerously.

His eyes widened a little as he realized his sister's misinterpretation. "No! No! It's nothing like that! She's not that bad to be around!" he said frantically.

At his slightly defensive tone, the dark-haired girl's serious expression turned back to her usual persona. "Ohoho! She?" If possible, her grin grew even bigger and her tone gained a teasing lilt to it. "Is she pretty, little brother?"

"I guess in a cute kind of way... Wait, I mean umm... no!" the embarrassed boy exclaimed. "We're only friends!"

Daniela smiled and laughed once more as she patted his head. "I'm so glad you finally made a friend by yourself, Renato! You're on your way to becoming a wonderful boss!"

At the mention of the aforementioned topic, the youngest Di Capo scowled down at the polished marble floor as his dark eyes clouded with unhappiness. "Don't remind me."

She cast a concerned look at her beloved sibling and prodded. "You don't want to be boss?"

He shook his head gloomily and slumped into a nearby chair. "Hardly. To be honest, I think you'd make a better one than me." He looked at the pre-teen in front of him and gauged her reaction to his last statement.

A faraway look entered Daniela's eyes and her grin diminished just a little. "It'd be nice if I could, don't you think? I can't though. People are just too judgmental nowadays."

The words came out of his mouth before he even completely realized that he was the one talking. "That's not true! The Giglio Nero's boss is always a girl! Luce said so today!" he blurted out. His face flushed red when he noticed his sister raising an eyebrow at his direction.

"Giglio Nero? Luce?" She sighed exasperated, "Goodness gracious Renato. Don't tell me that you spent the whole day with her!"

Said boy looked away in guilt and drummed his fingers on the armrest nervously. "I might have..." he trailed off. "But she was nice to me, and interesting too." he added as an afterthought.

Daniela's eyes twinkled in amusement as her brother's discomfort made itself clear by the growing blush on his face. Looks like someone had a little crush...

Oh well. If Renato didn't mind her, then maybe this Luce wasn't that bad. She shrugged dismissively and spoke the thoughts dwelling within her head. "Fine by me. You seem quite fond of her anyway. But you know, Father won't be happy if he finds out right?"

He nodded in agreement. "And that's why this will be our secret. Okay?" She gave him a thumbs up in response.

Satisfied with her reply, Renato turned and walked out the door to freshen up and get ready for dinner. He could really use a nice, relaxing bath right now.

* * *

><p>Later that evening, he finished drying off his spiky black hair as he exited the bathroom. Pausing to examine his appearance at the mirror, he briefly adjusted his tie and grinned arrogantly. Looking handsome, as always.<p>

At the top of the staircase, he stood there silently observing the scene in front of him. Countless mafia dons and their companions were seated throughout the extravagant table in the room. The polite chatter and laughter was faint as the clinking of silverware overlapped the other noises.

At the very head of the table sat his father, Vongola Settimo. Beside him were his guardians and Daniela.

Renato smirked when he spotted a familiar young girl a few seats away. Luce was here too? Maybe this party wouldn't be so boring after all...

He made his presence known when he began to make his way down the stairs. Heads turned to catch a glimpse of him as the Seventh stood and exclaimed joyfully, "Here comes the future Ottavo everyone!"

Renato stood at the foot of the stairs and waved awkwardly. He didn't like being put on the spot very much. His eyes darted around, searching for any other children besides him, Luce, and his sister.

The brunette* groaned inwardly in dread when he spotted a messy mop of blond hair and a blue-haired girl seated next to him. If Colonello and Lal were here, his family would expect him to sit next to them! His rival waved at him and gestured towards the unoccupied chair beside him. Lal merely waved.

On the opposite side of the table, Luce gave him a dazzling smile and patted an empty seat next to her. As if she knew what he was thinking, Daniela smirked and waited for his decision.

Renato scoffed and took his seat beside the Giglio Nero heiress. He conveniently ignored the offended looks on his self-proclaimed best friends' faces and offered Luce a small smile back.

Near the end of the table, he could practically hear Daniela's guffaws and see his dad's displeased frown.

Dinner was a somewhat quiet affair for him. He sat there listening to Luce's rambling about various topics as he ate. Every now and then, he'd put in his own opinion and crack a joke to make her laugh.

"So what happened after your guards found you again?" he murmured so only she could hear.

Luce's smile grew bigger and she struggled to keep her giggles at bay. "I left them again and went back home. You should've seen their faces when they came home hours later and I was already there!"

Settimo frowned deeply as he watched the scene in front of him. The two were currently whispering something to one another. When had Renato befriended that blasted Giglio Nero? Last time he checked, his son wasn't exactly the friendliest person around.

Once the eating portion of dinner was finished, the children excused themselves to go play. It was a lot better than being bored out of their minds by the adults' business talk.

Renato had led Luce outside to the garden and the duo were currently sitting on the edge of the fountain, talking. Luce was laughing uncontrollably at an old memory of his that he'd shared with her and he was chuckling along. The moment was interrupted however, when Colonello and Lal stepped outside to greet them.

"What the hell, kora? We haven't seen you in months and this is how you treat us, kora?" Colonello huffed, ticked off.

Lal smacked the indignant blond in the head and scolded him. "Don't curse so much, _stupido_! It's not polite!"

This action of course, triggered another one of the pair's infamous arguments. Renato sighed and prepared to quiet them. These two always fought like an old married couple!

"Both of you, shut up!" he stood and extended an arm in Luce's direction. "This is Luce, my friend."

That stopped them. Both military brats paused their bickering to stare at her. His friend? They cast incredulous looks at each other and wondered the same thing. How in the world had Renato managed to befriend someone?

Colonello, being the more amiable of the two, composed himself quickly. "Welcome to the club, kora!" he greeted cheerfully. "I don't know why anyone would want to be friends with this asshole, but welcome anyways, kora!"

The COMSUBIM officer's son was promptly kicked in the head by Renato. "Your verbal tick is really annoying, you know that?"

As the boys argued and butted heads in the background, Lal and Luce shook hands and introduced themselves. Both females smiled in amusement at their companions' antics as poor Colonello was shoved into the fountain.

"Boys will be boys," Lal sighed. Luce nodded in agreement. She turned back to Lal and tried to ignore the insults and threats behind her. Colonello and Renato certainly had quite the vocabulary.

They shared a few more polite words before the newcomer excused herself to go to the bathroom. Once Luce had left, the boys paused their brawl and looked around.

"Where'd she go, kora?"

Lal walked over to where her two closest friends were and crossed her arms. "Are you sure you should be hanging out with her, Renato? I mean didn't your dad warn you not to hang out with anyone from that famiglia?"

The boy rolled his eyes and waved a dismissive hand. "Just because he told me to, doesn't mean I have to listen. Besides at least she's nice!" he said in Luce's defense.

Colonello shook his head in a feeble attempt to dry it and put in his two cents' worth. "But shouldn't we listen to him, kora?"

Renato snorted and glared at them angrily. "If you don't like her, fine. I never asked you to." He kicked a nearby tree and stomped back inside.

"Great. Now he's mad at us. For the record, this is your fault, kora."

"Shut up, _stupido_."

* * *

><p>When he was back inside, Renato scanned the area for Luce. But she was nowhere to be found. He stiffened a bit when the sound of raised voices coming from the dining table startled him. Purely out of curiosity, he decided to eavesdrop.<p>

"Think of the advantages, Settimo! If my daughter and your son were to get married, there would be countless benefits! Besides, he already seems quite taken with her!" a man's voice rang out.

"I know what you're doing, Giglio Nero! You just want the money, power, and fame that comes with arranging a marriage between those two!" he heard his father roar back. "It's not happening!"

Renato wasn't a moron. He knew what they were talking about. In the mafia, marriages weren't based on love, but on power matches instead. It was done in order to produce more suitable heirs and decide a famiglia's future influence.

He mulled over the possibility. He and Luce? That didn't sound so bad. It could be worse. Why was his father against it so much? And why was Luce's dad the one negotiating? Shouldn't it be her mother, since she was the boss?

He was pulled from his thoughts when someone tapped his shoulder.

"What're you doing Renato?" Luce questioned. Instead of gracing her with an answer, he asked her a question in retaliation.

"Where's your mother?"

For the first time that day, Luce frowned sadly. "She died from an accident a few years ago. My dad took over after she died."

He quickly apologized and suggested they go play in his room in order to get away from the tense discussion in the adjacent room. They stayed there for the remainder of the party.

After everyone had gone home, a knock sounded on Renato's door. "Come in!" he shouted at the person.

The current Vongola don walked in and took a seat on his son's bed. "I wanted to speak with you, Renato." The boy raised an eyebrow and motioned for him to continue.

"I've noticed your recent friendship with Luce." Settimo paused to take in a deep breath. "I want you to stop. Don't hang around her anymore. You have Colonello and Lal anyway."

Renato was silent for a while. The Seventh heard him sigh before surrendering. "Yes father."

The man beamed at him and ruffled his youngest child's hair. "Excellent! Now remember, your boss training starts tomorrow and don't be late! Oh, I'm so proud of you!"

When he had gone, a devious smirk made its way onto Renato's face. Yeah right. Like hell he'd actually obey that fool.

After tomorrow's lessons, he had a certain Giglio Nero to visit.

* * *

><p><strong>*= Actually looked this up today. Brunette really can refer to a person with brown hair and one with black hair. I was suprised too...<strong>

**Here's a fact for you: In Italy if Di is in your last name, it means "son of." Plus, Capo means "leader." So, Di Capo literally translates into "son of the leader" (see what I did there? XD)**

**If you don't know who Renato is by now, I suggest you read this chapter again. I put in so many hints... And if you still don't know, then type in Renato in Google Translate. ****Let me know your guess in a review! First correct guess gets a little somethin' special ;)**

Italicized words:

_Idiota- _Idiot

_Amico- _Friend

_Signorina- _Miss

_Stupido- _Stupid

**Hope you enjoyed! :)**

**[This is the part of the chapter where I shamelessly beg for feedback or criticism in the form of a review.]**


	4. The Trouble With Information

**Edit: Since I don't know who guessed first and I suppose it wouldn't really be fair... this chapter is dedicated to everyone who guessed Renato was Reborn. LOL Great job guys. I**** guess I put in too many hints if so many people got it...**

**Everyone give a hand to brightonlovesfrance for betaing! Thanks so much!**

**Disclaimer: Again, I no own!**

**Back to Tsuna and co.! Read and review!**

* * *

><p><strong>A Day in the Life<strong>

**Chapter 4**

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* * *

><p>For the first time ever in his life, Tsuna woke up early.<p>

He yawned as he stumbled to the window and lazily observed the bustling streets of Italy. Although it was around five in the morning, people were already up and going about their daily errands.

An optimistic smile snaked its way onto the teenager's face as he realized that they would also be busy today.

Last night before he'd gone to bed, he'd thought of an extremely clever escape plan. If what Timoteo had said was true, then Renato was still out there somewhere and they were going to find him!

Tsuna was absolutely certain that with a little persuasion and smooth talking, the former boss candidate would be willing to help him out. It was perfect!

This was precisely why the brunette had awoken bright and early on this particular day. They obviously had a lot of work to do if they were going to gather information on Renato!

"Now let's see, we'll have to ask all of the crazy mafioso we know," he mused out loud. "That would include the Varia, Aria-san's famiglia, the Cavallone, and CEDEF. Plus we need to see if there's anything at Vongola HQ."

His eyes widened a little as he realized something: he didn't want to see the majority of those people! He groaned in dread as he picked up his phone from the bedside table.

Maybe if they split up, the chances of him getting killed would lessen. With that thought in mind, Tsuna began dialing several numbers onto the keypad.

Now came the hardest part of his plan: waking and gathering all of his guardians.

* * *

><p>Unbeknownst to the future Decimo, one of his friends had been wide awake for a while.<p>

Takeshi Yamamoto breathed in the cool, crisp Sicilian air as he ran past vendors, early shoppers, and people commuting to work.

He hadn't slept very well last night. At around four in the morning, he had bolted upright in his luxurious bed and paced around the hotel room several times. Finally, he'd decided that perhaps a morning jog would help him settle down.

Ever since that talk with the Ninth yesterday, the dark-haired teen had been especially on the edge. Not only was he unhappy about moving soon, he also felt guilty for keeping a particular secret from the rest of his frends.

Speaking of which, he'd almost forgotten! The swordsman abruptly stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and searched for an area with more privacy.

He quickly ducked into a nearby alley and scanned for any suspicious looking bystanders. Once the coast was clear, he took his phone out of his coat pocket. His fingers trembled slightly in anticipation as he dialed in a familiar number.

"Hello? Who is this?" a voice answered. In the background, the clatter of silverware and plates could be heard. It must be time for breakfast over there.

The athlete stared intently at the ground, sorting out what to say in his mind. "It's Yamamoto."

The rain attribute sighed and watched as a tiny ant crawled away from his shoe, obviously intimidated by him. He was probably just as scared as that ant right now.

"Oh, it's you. How did that meeting go?"

"Not good. We discussed our futures," the baseball enthusiast replied. "The Ninth mentioned you, by the way."

A pause. Yamamoto faintly heard a feminine voice humming and more clinking of silverware. "What for?"

"Tsuna still doesn't want to lead the famiglia and he asked about you. I'm guessing that we'll probably be looking for you, **_Renato_**."

A loud shatter echoed, even though the phone's speakers. The other male had obviously broken something. A plate or a coffee mug perhaps?

Yamamoto gulped as the voice on the other line turned from casual to steely. Now he'd made him angry! "And what did you say?" the speaker questioned menacingly.

The younger of the two laughed apprehensively. "Don't worry, I didn't say anything about you. I promised to keep it a secret after all!"

"...Good. Now keep it that way." the mysterious individual retorted. "And Yamamoto?"

"Y-yes?" The younger male tugged on his jacket collar nervously. He made a mental note to try to avoid associating with people like Renato from now on.

"Just in case you forget to be quiet about this, I want you to keep something in mind." The person stopped then, as if to prolong the suspense. "Do you recall the time that you trained with me?"

Yamamoto suppressed the involuntary urge to shiver. Of course he did. Training with him had been the most terrifying and painful ordeal he'd ever undertaken. He chose to remain silent.

Renato continued his threat. "If I hear that you talked, I won't hold back this time. I guarantee you, no one will ever find your miserable carcass. _Understand_?"

The normally cheerful boy's breath hitched in fear. Contrary to popular belief, he wasn't as oblivious as everyone thought. This time, his so-called natural instincts told him that Renato wasn't joking.

"O-of course I do."

Just as quickly as the wrath had appeared, the older male's tone was immediately replaced with satisfaction. "Excellent! I knew I made the right choice telling you my secret, Yamamoto!" the voice chirped. "I need to go now, but don't forget that I'll be in Italy soon!"

And with that, the dangerous conversation ended and Renato hung up. Yamamoto leaned against the wall and ran a hand through his spiky hair. If he'd known this would happen, then maybe he'd been better off unaware!

The rain flame user winced when he spotted the ant from earlier lying motionless on the ground. Apparently, it had been crushed by his foot during his anxiety.

Yamamoto shut his eyes tightly and tried not to think about the similarities. If he revealed anything, Renato would surely crush him, just like he had to the ant.

The part-time swordsman jumped in surprise when his phone rang once again. He composed himself and managed to answer the incoming call somewhat calmly. "Hello?"

It was Tsuna. "Yamamoto! Where in the world are you? We're having a meeting at the hotel conference room and you're the only one missing!"

Said teen laughed sheepishly as he replied, "Haha! Sorry Tsuna! I went for a run this morning and kinda got lost." Yamamoto sincerely hoped that he'd hidden the wariness in his voice, otherwise he was in big trouble.

Thankfully, the brunette failed to notice and continued to scold him in that gentle way of his. "It's fine. Just get over here as soon as you can!"

Effectively masking the rest of his inner turmoil, Yamamoto replied to the command with fake cheer. "If you say so! I'm on my way!"

After he hung up, the raven haired boy frowned. His guess had been right after all. This meeting was probably about searching for Renato. It's a good thing he'd remembered to warn him ahead of time.

He snorted at the irony as he kept on jogging to his destination. Instead of calming himself down, this morning jog had done the complete opposite.

* * *

><p>Tsuna pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. Couldn't any of his guardians learn to behave?<p>

"Save some bacon for others, Turf-top!" Gokudera shouted.

"Bacon is an extremely good source of protein, Octopus-head! I need lots to keep up my strength to the extreme!"

As the two argued loudly, Lambo, of all people, was quietly sitting in a plush chair eating his breakfast.

The typical chaos was cut off, however, when the doors slid open and their missing member stepped in the room. Right off the bat, Gokudera sent a scathing glare at the newcomer and proceeded to scold him.

"Where the hell have you been? How dare you keep Tenth waiting, you baseball idiot!"

Yamamoto laughed and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "My bad! Kinda got lost in the city this morning!"

"It's alright Yamamoto. Just take a seat please," Tsuna butted in before the silverette could belittle his fellow guardian any further. The brunette looked around at his family in satisfaction. Since they were all here, the meeting could finally get started.

"Today we'll split up and try to gather information on Renato. I'll start with Ryohei. Big brother, you and Lambo will go to Varia and see if they know anything."

The energetic boxer rose and pumped his fist into the air. "Yeah! Come on Lambo! We'll find him to the extreme!"

The childlike pair set down their plates and raced towards the door. As they headed to the exit, the others heard Lambo giggling. "Whahaha! The great Lambo-sama will find him first! Back off!"

Those remaining blinked in surprise. Had someone slipped the young boy any caffeine this morning?

Gokudera glanced uncertainly at the door. "Tenth are you sure it's a good idea to send those idiots to the Varia?"

Tsuna shrugged. "They'll be fine. Besides, big brother is on pretty good terms with them."

The brunette cleared his throat and continued once Ryohei and Lambo had gone. "Anyway, I've somehow convinced Hibari-san to talk to Dino. But for some reason, I can't seem to find Mukuro or the rest of Kokuyo anywhere."

Tsuna clapped his hands together and beamed at his best friends. "So then! Gokudera-kun will go back to Vongola HQ and search for any records of Renato. As for you, Yamamoto, I want you to visit CEDEF and see if they know anything."

"Of course Tenth! I'll do my very best!"

"I guess I could do that, Tsuna!"

And with that, the sky attribute was the only one remaining in the room. Tsuna sighed and glanced at the mess they'd made. He put 100 Euros in the middle of the table and stood from his seat. If he was going to leave this disaster for the employees to clean up, he should at least leave a good tip.

Like the rest of his friends, Tsuna began walking out the door, intent on acquiring much-needed information. He smiled smugly to himself as he strode past the lobby.

If he didn't want to see any of those psychos or read a ton of books, it only made sense to leave the easiest task for himself right?

All he had to do was see how the Giglio Nero were coping with memories from the future.

* * *

><p>Ganauche III glanced around the damp, dark room and shivered. It sure was creepy here.<p>

He willed himself to stay instead of turning around and running for his life. After all, he had important business to take care of.

He looked up when the door opened and a cloaked figure stepped in. Chains attached to the cloak rattled and loose bandages dragged on the floor as the figure stepped towards him.

The lightning user cringed when the head of Vendicare Prison, Bermuda von Vichtenstein, towered over him and sent him a bone-chilling glare.

"Why have you come here, Vongola?" he questioned.

Ganauche struggled to retain his composure as he replied, "I'm here to inform you of some interesting news."

At this, Bermuda's eyebrows rose skeptically. "And what could you possibly know that we Vindice would find intriguing?"

"Do you recall when I went here on a mission and you told me about the eighth flame?" Ganauche cast an expectant look at the corrupt warden but received no response. "Well he's alive. My boss accidentally confirmed it during a meeting."

The Vindici noticeably stiffened at the mafioso's bold declaration. "I beg your pardon?"

Regaining a bit of his earlier bravado, Ganauche crossed his arms and repeated the previous statement. "That's right. Renato Di Capo is alive."

For a while, the dim room remained deathly silent. Then, Bermuda burst into fits of laughter.

"Do you really expect me to believe that? My most trusted subordinate told me he'd witnessed the death himself!"

The short tempered man scowled and glared at the ominous looking figure. "I'm not lying, I swear!"

A cruel glint appeared in the infamous jailer's eyes. "Really now? Would you be willing to bet your life on that?"

Ganauche's eyes widened in surprise. "Wh-what?"

An evil chuckle escaped from Bermuda's mouth. "Alright. I'll play along. But if I find out that you're lying, then you're as good as dead. _Capisce_?"

The younger male nodded arrogantly. It had to be true! "So will we look for him now?" the ninth generation guardian queried.

Bermuda shook his head as another sinister laugh echoed throughout the gloomy area. He leaned against the wall casually, as if plotting someone's demise occured on a daily basis.

"Of course not. If what you say is true, then I suppose that foolish Sawada Tsunayoshi and his friends are searching for Renato as we speak."

The Vindici gazed at the wall pensively. "And when they do find him, we strike," he finished. "That damned Vongola will regret breaking the deal between us."

Ganauche smiled in satisfaction. "What about the flame?"

"Don't you worry about that. That's private Vindice business. Now leave, before I change my mind and kill you right now," Bermuda said crisply.

The man held up his hands defensively and obliged with the order. Ganauche hurriedly walked down the halls of Vendicare and averted the other guards' curious gazes. His job here was done.

Back at the shadowy room, Bermuda cackled loudly. That imbecile had no idea what he'd just started. When Renato was found, the missing eighth flame would finally be his once again! And when that happened, his plans could finally be set in motion.

Bermuda relished the very thought of making that blasted Di Capo suffer as he made his way to his "trustworthy" subordinate. He needed to have a talk with that traitor.

* * *

><p><strong>And so the plot soup thickens! Ohoho, and now we add Vindice to the mix...<strong>

**For some reason, this chapter was really difficult for me to write. Oh well, lemme know what you thought! Whether you loved it, liked it, hated it, or didn't really get it, I want to know! :D **

**Sorry for a short update. Don't panic! I've already got chapter 5 typed out! Now it just needs to be corrected... **

**If you feel like making any plot predictions, I'd like to hear them by the way. Those make me happy.**

**[If you would like to review to express your opinions, please click the review button below. Please?]**


	5. A Hitman's Humble Beginnings

**Yeah! Can anyone say early update? :D Is anyone else as excited about this as I am?**

**Just in case anyone's confused, it'll be a chapter from the present followed by a chapter from the past okay? At least until we finish Renato's part of the story...**

**Thanks to brightonlovesfrance for beta reading! And thanks to everyone who reviewed, faved, or alerted this!**

**All right here we go! Enjoy!**

** Disclaimer: If there's a disclaimer here, then I probably don't own KHR.**

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><p><em><strong>Sicily, Italy<strong>_

_**1967**_

_**...**_

_**..**_

_**.**_

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><p>Renato grunted in pain as a fist met his already bruised ribs. He staggered backwards, gasping for air. The boy swore loudly as he picked himself up from the ground, ignoring the various aches and pains from nearly every part of his body.<p>

Things had not gone as he'd planned. For one, his boss lessons had turned out to be much more difficult than he'd thought. He hadn't even gotten the time to pay Luce a visit!

He swore again when another well-aimed kick collided with his face and he collapsed on the ground, completely exhausted.

Damn training! If he ever decided to become a tutor, no way was he treating any of his students like this! No one deserved to treated this mercilessly!

"Get your lazy ass off the ground, you spoiled brat!" his tutor from hell shouted. "There's no time to waste! Now we'll work on shooting!"

Renato winced as he stood and struggled to regain his balance.

It had been like this for almost a week now. The day after the dinner party, he'd showed up for his lessons, only to find his father talking to someone he didn't recognize.

"Listen closely to your new tutor, Renato. He'll teach you all about fighting and surviving in the underworld. As for me, I'll be teaching you how to handle business and negotiate, okay?" Settimo had instructed the minute he saw his son.

Renato had nodded mutely, still a bit drowsy from waking up this early. Unfortunately, he had no idea exactly what he'd agreed to.

"Hurry up brat!" the cranky instructor, also known as Salvatore, shouted. Apparently, this old geezer was the best of the best. His father claimed that this guy had been COMSUBIM's greatest trainer before he'd retired.

Renato scrambled towards the field where his ruthless teacher was. He couldn't afford to be his usual overconfident self around this guy! That would probably result in yet another beating!

When he arrived at the clearing, Salvatore was standing there, holding a gun. A CZ75 1ST, to be exact. Several targets had been set up at varying distances.

"Alright listen up, this is how you shoot a gun." Salvatore held the handgun, and fired. The raven haired boy blinked in surprise as a target exploded when the bullet came in contact with it. "Any questions?"

Upon seeing his student's bewilderment, Salvatore smirked, amused. "You've never used a gun before, have you brat? Hell, I bet you've never even held one!"

The flustered child nodded silently in response. It wasn't his fault that Settimo had never bothered to teach him to fight! His father didn't even pay much attention to him and Daniella. It was usually work, work, and more work.

Salvatore grinned and held out the weapon towards Renato. "Well then, here. Give it a try, brat. Let's see how you do."

The heir-in-training took the gun hesitantly and tried to copy what the man had done earlier. Moments later, a loud gunshot echoed throughout the field, effectively startling everyone present at the time.

The former COMSUBIM gaped in shock. Near the 200 yard mark lay the remains of what used to be a target. He whirled to face the silent boy.

"How did you do that?"

Renato gulped nervously. Had he failed the exercise? "Umm... I uh, worked out the numbers and tried to make adjustments based on those," he stammered.

The trainer ignored the young Vongola's rambling explanation and pondered on what the Vongola don had said earlier. The Seventh had told him that Renato wasn't very educated in fighting. However, the boy had proved himself to be extremely intelligent, easily passsing several IQ tests with a genius level score every time. Perhaps this kid wasn't as hopeless as he thought.

"-so I calculated the constant of gravity, wind speed, and the sidespin of the bullet and aimed according to that," Renato finished.

"...I see." All of a sudden, Salvatore laughed loudly and grabbed the obviously intimidated Di Capo by the shoulders. "I have to say, I'm surprised. I like you brat! You're smart and you've got some serious nerve! The mafia needs more people like you!"

The middle-aged male's booming laughter echoed as he walked away. "Keep working on your shooting, kid! You've got potential! See ya tomorrow!"

Renato glanced at the gun in confusion. What had just happened? Huh. What a weird guy. After a few seconds, he shrugged and wallked away.

Since training had ended early, he might as well visit Luce. You know, just to pass the time.

* * *

><p>Luce huffed and stared out the window. She was bored!<p>

Her father and most of her uncles were gone for business right now, and everyone else was too busy to play with her. Worst of all, Renato hadn't visited like he'd promised!

The Giglio Nero successor whistled a made-up tune and drummed her fingers against the windowpane impatiently. When was he coming?

Thankfully, she didn't have to wait very long for her question to be answered.

Luce gasped and broke out in a run when she spotted a familiar figure heading towards the front door. She turned and rushed to greet her friend.

"Renato!"

The poor guy didn't even see it coming. His eyes widened in surprise as a petite body collided with his and crushed him in a bear hug.

"What're you doing? Get off me!" he protested. Luce giggled and stepped back, eagerness displayed all over her face.

"Where were you? How come you didn't want to play?" she asked as she tugged him along, intent on a walk.

"I had to go to that goddamn boss training. It sucked," he complained. "I didn't even learn anything! All he did was beat me up!"

Luce cracked up and tugged on his arm again. "That doesn't sound like much fun. Let's go on a walk then! That should cheer you up!"

"Hmph. If you say so. It's not like I have anything better to do."

She rolled her eyes at the male's behavior. Where had he gotten that attitude from? A brick wall? "Whatever, I know you want to go anyway," she teased as she led him into the gardens.

Renato smirked as he observed Luce humming pleasantly, stopping every now and then to sniff at a brightly colored flower. Of course he wanted to go! Not that he'd ever tell her that.

He blinked when he felt something being set atop his head. It was a crown of flowers. Luce beamed once it was somehow secured on top of his unruly hair. "Do you like it?"

The dark haired boy snorted in amusement at her antics. "I'm a guy, Luce. We don't usually like flowers," he said dryly.

The heiress laughed and ignored her friend's blatant sarcasm. "So you do like it! I'm glad!"

The only response she received was a pointed glare and a frown. She smiled and to his surprise, kissed him on the cheek. "You need to lighten up Renato! Relax a little!"

His face promptly turned a bright shade of red as he scowled at Luce. "What'd you do that for? That could be considered harassment you know!" the mortified boy protested.

Luce opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted when a gunshot sounded in the air. Almost immediately, she was tackled to the ground by Renato. "Get down _imbecille_! We're being attacked!"

The future donna chuckled and pushed him off. "_Stupido,_ haven't you noticed yet? We're near the range!" she laughed. "That's just someone practicing their shooting!"

"...Oh. Well, I didn't know that!" Renato said defensively.

Luce grinned and motioned for him to follow. "Let's go see who it is!"

When they arrived at the shooting range, they found a man practicing just like she'd predicted. He didn't look that old. The stranger looked to be in his early twenties.

Luce's face brightened when she recognized the man. "Hi Uncle Giacomo!"

The man looked up in astonishment. "Oh it's you, _principessa_! Who's your friend?"

Luce smiled. "This is my paranoid companion, Renato!"

Said boy frowned at his introduction. He was not paranoid! His behavior had made perfect sense! When you heard gunshots, you took cover. It was common sense!

Giacomo chortled as he shook Renato's hand. "Well it's very nice to meet you."

"Why are you practicing your shooting, Uncle? You're already really good!" she interjected. The man chuckled and ruffled her hair.

"Well _principessa_, I always need to practice. It's because I'm a hitman!"

Now intrigued, Renato studied him carefully. "What's a hitman?" he asked. "What do they do?"

Giacomo smiled and crouched so he was eye level with the young heir. "In the mafia, there are bosses and subordinates right?" A nod from his audience. "Well, a hitman is a very important kind of subordinate. He gets rid of anyone who might hurt the famiglia, understand?"

Renato tilted his head to the side, a thoughtful look on his face. "So a hitman protects a famiglia kind of like a boss does right?"

The older man shrugged. "In a way I guess. Were you planning on becoming one someday, kid?"

Obsidian orbs glinted with mischievousness. That was it! This is what he'd do instead of becoming boss! He smirked arrogantly. "Actually yes, I do want to be one when I'm older. The very best in fact," he said smoothly.

Beside him, Luce raised an eyebrow but chose not to say anything. Giacomo smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "I suggest you learn to shoot extremely well then. Good luck with that!"

Renato nodded and began walking away, knowing that Luce would be following right behind him. She looked back and waved at the hitman. "Bye Uncle Giacomo!" she hollered.

The future Vongola stopped to allow her to catch up. He glanced at his wristwatch as he waited. Damn. It had been almost three hours already.

"Luce, I have to go now. Everyone's probably looking for me again," he said when she was finally beside him.

She stared at the ground sadly. "Already? Can't you stay just a little longer?" she pleaded. Renato shook his head.

"If my dad finds out I was here, I might not be able to come back. But I'll try to visit soon. I promise," he assured her.

Luce looked up at him expectantly. "Promise?"

He nodded and grinned. "Of course. When have I ever lied to you?"

The Giglio Nero princess smiled brightly. That was good enough for her! "Okay!" she said. Renato's eyes softened when Luce hugged him again.

"Bye Renato. Come back soon!" she waved, a faint blush adorning her cheeks.

When he had gone, Luce sighed and frowned. Back to her boring life now.

* * *

><p><em><strong>A month later<strong>_

_**...**_

_**..**_

_**.**_

* * *

><p>Settimo grimaced as he examined the three children seated in front of him.<p>

"Do any of you know why my son has been so focused on training nowadays? I realize that learning to fight is important but lately, he's been shirking the business portion of his lessons."

Colonello and Lal shrugged. They didn't know. Ever since the dinner party, Renato had been spending less time with them. It was quite insulting really.

Daniela craned her neck and peered past Settimo's shoulder to catch a glimpse of her brother outside. "He's been like that ever since Salvatore started training him. I wish I knew why he's so dedicated," she added thoughtfully.

Colonello suddenly bolted upright, nearly knocking the chair over. "Hold it, kora! He's being trained by **_the _**Salvatore, kora?" he demanded, jealousy evident in his tone.

The Vongola boss nodded. "Of course! Only the best for the future don."

At that, the rambunctious blond slammed his hands on the Seventh's desk, effectively startling everyone. "DAMMIT! I can't let him beat me! I'll have to train even harder, kora!"

The others watched Renato's self-proclaimed rival energetically pump his fist in the air as he ran out, screaming his catchphrase the entire time.

Lal Mirch shook her head in amusement. Dumbass. He'd kill himself someday if he always tried to keep up with their training obsessed friend. She sighed and made to excuse herself also. "If that's all, then I'll be going now. I'm sorry I can't be of much help, Settimo."

The boss smiled at the blue-haired girl. She was a nice girl. However, she did have quite the temper. Now if only Renato would pursue her instead of that troublesome Giglio Nero. "Certainly Lal. It's no problem at all! I'll have to convince that son of mine to play with you guys again sometime!"

When only Daniela was left, he groaned and glared at the tutor-student pair through the window. "What are we going to do about your brother, Daniela? How will he ever become a decent boss if he skips half his training on a regular basis?"

For a while, the girl did not reply. He was beginning to think that she hadn't even been paying attention when he noticed several habits that his daughter only displayed when she was nervous.

The other Di Capo twiddled her thumbs and bit her lip. She took a deep breath before talking back. "Actually father, I was sort of wondering... would you maybe um, consider me as another boss candidate?"

The room fell silent. Then much to her chagrin, the Seventh started chuckling. "Ohoho! Daniela sweetie, you know that only men can lead famiglias right? I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I simply can't do that. What would our allies think? Now run along and play, dear."

Daniela's eye twitched in irritation at her father's obvious bias. She bit her tongue to avoid pointing out the Giglio Nero's traditions, like Renato had told her a while ago. What was so special about a male boss anyway?

The youth stormed out in a hurry, eager to escape the confines of the office.

As for Settimo, the man stood and organized the cluttered papers on his desk into a neat pile. He growled in frustration and stomped out of the room in a manner similar to what his daughter had done moments ago. If Renato kept this up, that boy would end up nowhere, with no job or talent!

The disgruntled mafia leader exited without even a backwards glance at the duo outside. But if he had looked, then he would've seen a fine demonstration of his son's growth. No job or talent indeed.

"Excellent Renato!" Salvatore stood and applauded his pupil when all the targets in the field had been destroyed. "I can't believe it's only been a month! You really are something, kid!"

Renato smirked in satisfaction. He was definitely getting better.

The former COMSUBIM ruffled the boy's hair proudly. "I guess you don't really need me anymore huh, kid?" Salvatore grinned as he accompanied the boy back to the mansion. "Be sure to tell your dad that you're done with my training okay?"

His student nodded as they walked in comfortable silence. All of a sudden, the youth stopped in his tracks, as if he'd just remembered something.

"...Thanks for teaching me, old man," Renato muttered. "Now go home. I don't need you anymore," he said grumpily.

Salvatore laughed and fondly bid the Di Capo goodbye. He'd miss that brat. Renato only cast a brief glance at his tutor before turning around and continuing his way to Vongola HQ.

Renato smirked smugly as he walked back home, a spring in his step. Everything was finally going his way! Now that he'd passed, he would have even more time to go to the range and shoot! He couldn't afford to be lazy. He had a goal to achieve, after all.

Someday he would be known far and wide as Renato Di Capo: the world's greatest hitman!

* * *

><p><strong>And so two new characters are introduced! (I have a feeling I won't use them again though. They were just there to kinda keep the plot moving along. LOL)<strong>

**Sorry if the recent chapters have been a little short. I promise the real epic stuff will start happening soon!**

Italicized words:

_imbecille- _imbecile (makes sense huh? XD)

_principessa-_ princess

**By the way, 200 yards with a handgun is hella good. That's why the guy was so impressed. What can you expect though? It's Reborn after all.**

**And now we know why Reborn is a hitman. XD**

**[Whether you liked, loved, or hated with a fiery passion, review! Oh, and if you have any predictions let me know. I love hearing what people think will happen. :3]**


	6. Clue Hunting

**Here's an update for y'all! Enjoy! **

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed and thanks to my beta reader! You all know who you are.**

**Warnings: May contain explicit language (Varia. Enough said.)**

**Disclaimer: Darn. I don't own anything.**

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><p><strong>A Day in the Life<strong>

**Chapter 6**

**…**

**..**

**.**

* * *

><p>"Princess, you get down from there right now!"<p>

The four year old giggled in response. "No!" Uni was currently perched atop the refrigerator with a bright smile on her face. She glanced at the teddy bear in her arms and quickly decided it would be more amusing to throw it at Gamma.

The blonde scowled as the stuffed animal hit him in the face and bent to pick it up. He hid his growing impatience and smiled up at the child. "Come down Princess. Please?"

Uni frowned and shook her head. "Nuh-uh! You'll drop me! I don't wanna fall!" In response, Gamma sighed deeply and held out his arms.

"I'm not going to drop you, I promise. Now will you please get down from there?" he pleaded. As he said this, Genkishi happened to wander into the kitchen. Gamma briefly glanced at the swordsman before turning his attention back to Uni.

"Psst Genkishi! I need a quick favor from you, bastard!" the right hand man hissed, not daring to look away from the toddler precariously balanced on the fridge. "Make sure boss doesn't see this alright? She's still sleeping right now and the last thing she needs is to see Uni like this!"

Genkishi raised an oddly shaped eyebrow in amusement. "How did she get up there anyway?"

"How the hell should I know?" Gamma snapped back.

"Well, seeing as how you happen to be Uni-sama's overprotective-" the mist user was abruptly cut off when the blonde clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Shut up! That's supposed to be a secret!"

Genkishi shrugged and headed off to Aria's room to distract her if she woke up. As for Gamma, he tried to get the young heiress down again. "I swear I won't drop you Princess!"

Uni shook her head in disapproval. "Mama says it's bad to swear, Gamma. I'm telling!"

He opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. Oh crap.

Nosaru and Tazaru were out on a mission, Irie and Spanner had gone to some nerd convention, and Genkishi was still keeping watch. That left him to answer it! Gamma stared at the door, then back at Uni.

Before he could decide on a course of action, however, a yawn echoed throughout the silent mansion. Genkishi's insistent voice could be heard. "It's alright, boss! I'll get it so you don't have to!"

A laugh. "It's fine Genkishi! Uni and Gamma probably want breakfast anyway. Speaking of which, where are those two?"

Terrified at the prospect of a furious Aria, Gamma scrambled to the top of the counter to get Uni himself. Unfortunately, he was too late. Aria walked past the kitchen and stopped in her tracks at the bizarre scene.

"Hello Gamma. Would you mind explaining how my daughter ended up on top of the fridge?" the Giglio Nero boss said stiffly. Said man gulped. He was definitely in trouble.

"Er… the doorbell's still ringing boss. Shouldn't you go answer it?" Gamma laughed sheepishly. Aria glared at him venomously and stalked off, muttering death threats under her breath.

Her angry mood disappeared however, when she opened the door and saw a familiar face. "Tsunayoshi-kun!" she exclaimed. "Come in!"

Moments later, everyone had gathered at Aria's office. Gamma had eventually gotten Uni down and was avoiding Aria's irritated glances. The toddler sat in his lap, playing with Gamma's hair.

"So what brings you here, Tsunayoshi-kun?" she asked.

The brunette didn't even hesitate to voice his question. "Have you ever heard of anyone named Renato Di Capo?"

"Umm… I can't say that I have Tsunayoshi-kun. What about you, Genkishi?" Aria asked, still ignoring her lightning guardian.

"No. And you Gamma?"

The blonde shrugged. "Nope," he winced as Uni gave a rather painful tug at his hair.

Tsuna sighed in disappointment. "I see. Well, thanks for your time. I think I'll be going now." He exited the room and headed for the front door.

"Bye Tuna-san!" Uni yelled enthusiastically as the teen walked down the driveway. Gamma hastily corrected the toddler's error. "No Princess. It's Tsuna, not Tuna."

"I'm sorry we weren't much help, Tsunayoshi-kun! But please do visit again!" Aria called out at the young male. She turned back to her subordinates with a shake of her head. "Tsunayoshi-kun is certainly getting more straightforward, isn't he? I suppose his training with Reborn is working then!" she laughed.

Tsuna sighed as he walked past the gates of the Giglio Nero estate. Nothing yet. He frowned and stared at the ground. His friends better be having more luck than him!

* * *

><p>"VOOOOOOOOOOOI! Who the fuck is Renato Di Capo? Never heard of him!"<p>

"Long-haired shark commander, you're being too loud again," Flan dead-panned. The young boy had recently been recruited into the Varia, against his own will of course. As a result, his remarks were more sarcastic and snide than usual.

"Ushiushiushi~ shut up froggy! No one asked you! Besides, the shark peasant is right. Who's this Renato?"

"VOI! Who are you calling a peasant, you little shit?" the irate swordsman shouted as he lunged at Bel, who casually sidestepped the attack so it hit Flan instead.

"Ow senpai. That hurt," the boy said flatly.

Levi suddenly burst into the room, face red with rage. "All of you shut up! The boss is taking his nap and you might disturb him!"

"And why should we give a damn about that asshole?" Squalo yelled indignantly. "For your information, the Vongola brats are here on important business!"

The Xanxus worshipper raised an eyebrow and glanced at Lambo and Ryohei. "For what?"

Flan sighed. "If you must know, lightning pervert, they're asking about some guy named Renato Di Capo."

Ryohei stood and pumped a fist in the air. "That's extremely right! Have any of you heard of him?"

Several blank and somewhat hostile expressions were the only answers the passionate boxer received. Then he happened to notice Mammon quietly counting money in the corner of the room.

"Hey! You're one of the kid's extreme friends! Do you know anything?"

Mammon stopped his money counting for a moment and looked up. "N-no! Of course not!" His fellow Varia members chose not to point out the Arcobaleno's nervous tone. Ryohei's face fell and he sat back down.

Lambo pointed a snot covered finger at Levi. "Lambo-san orders you to tell me where Renato is this instant!" he shouted obnoxiously.

The assassin scowled and turned to walk out the door. "I don't even know who he is! And boss doesn't either. If he did, then I'm sure he would have told me, his best subordinate!" the lightning user said haughtily.

Levi stumbled backwards as he was shoved aside by a very excited Lussuria. "My my! It's Ryohei-chan!" he squealed. "And you brought a kid with you!"

The moment the obviously gay man crushed Ryohei and Lambo into a hug, the other Varia members ran out of the room like bats out of hell. None of them wanted to be in the same room as a fangirling Lussuria.

"Ushiushi, the prince will see you brats later! Move it, froggy!"

"Sempai quit pushing. I don't want to see Commander Homo freak out either. It's the idiot shark's fault. His fat ass is blocking the door."

"Good one froggy! Ushiushiushi~"

"VOOOIII! The fuck? Are you calling me fat? You'll pay for that you little twerps!" And with that, Flan and Bel were launched out of the room via Squalo's boot. The two nearly knocked over Levi who was strutting down the hallway, intent on stalking his boss some more.

As for Mammon, the Arcobaleno vanished in a shroud of mist muttering incoherent curses under his breath. "Yare yare, he'd kill me if I told anyone about it…"

Ever the oblivious one, Ryohei failed to notice this and beamed at the Muay Thai master. "Do you extremely know anything?"

Lussuria hummed thoughtfully. "Let's see… Mmm I'm afraid I don't know anything honey! Sorry~!"

Lambo cowered behind the older guardian. "He's creepy. Lambo-san wants to leave!"

The sun flame user ignored the young Bovino and withdrew the Vongola gear from his coat pocket. "Not yet Lambo. Be extremely patient! I want to learn a new fighting style to the extreme!"

"Ohoho, a new fighting style! Did you want to learn more of my Muay Thai, sweetie?"

"EXTREMELY!"

The poor cow child cowered underneath a chair as he watched the two destroy the room with demonstrations of punches and kicks. He whimpered as the table broke and a piece of wood was embedded in his hair.

"Ryohei!" he screamed. "Lambo-san wants to go now!"

* * *

><p>Dino grinned at the male standing before him. "Kyoya! What a pleasant surprise!"<p>

Hibari glared at him and brandished a tonfa. "Idiot herbivore. Answer my question or I'll bite you to death."

The Cavallone boss chuckled at his student's usual behavior and stepped aside to let him in. "Of course, Kyoya. Now what did you want to know?"

Hibari scowled and took a seat in one of the chairs in the living room. Atop his head, Hibird chirped at Dino, as if to say hello. The prefect cast a cold stare at the messy haired blonde before speaking. "Herbivore. What do you know about Renato Di Capo?"

The klutzy blonde pouted and crossed his arms. "You're not even going to ask how your favorite tutor is doing?"

Hibari held up a tonfa in response. "I don't have time for your childish behavior. Now answer the question." he demanded.

Dino looked at the younger male curiously. "Why do you need to know anyway?"

"Hmph. Sawada Tsunayoshi has finally agreed to fight me if I find anything on this individual. Now answer, herbivore," he said firmly.

"Oh, it's for my little bro! I really wish I could help then, but I've never heard of a Renato Di Capo. Sorry, Kyoya!" the don replied sincerely.

Hibari growled in frustration. If he didn't have any information, then he wouldn't get the chance to bite that herbivore to death! There went his hopes of a new human punching bag. He studied Dino carefully as the male blathered about what he'd done today. The clumsy bronco would have to do.

Dino's ramblings were cut off when he ducked to avoid a tonfa. "Herbivore. Spar with me."

The Cavallone grinned and stood. "You wanna spar again Kyoya? Do you really think you can beat me this time?" he said teasingly.

"Shut up and fight, herbivore."

* * *

><p>In the Vongola HQ's library sat Gokudera Hayato. He was surrounded by unorganized stacks of ancient books and documents. All in all, the library was a mess.<p>

"Goddamn it all! How hard can it be to find anything about this guy?" the enraged storm guardian roared. "Did they destroy all the evidence or something?"

The irate teen had been shut in the room for nearly the entire day. He'd painstakingly studied every book, document, or file hoping it would at least contain a little bit of information. But so far, nothing.

Although he was tempted to just blow the whole damn place sky-high, the silverette resisted the urge to do so since he knew his boss would panic again. It was his job as the right hand man to ease any stress, not cause it!

"I better find something fast. What if that baseball idiot finds something? I don't wanna look bad in front of Tenth!"

Gokudera grabbed a dusty volume from the shelf and slammed it on the table. He glared at the book. This had better be the right one!

He opened the book to a random page. It was apparently an encyclopedia of the Vongola famiglia's specialty bullets. Gokudera stroked his chin thoughtfully when a particular bullet captured his attention.

"The Ancestor Bullet huh? Sounds interesting. I'll have to tell Tenth later!"

The bomber shut the book and smirked. He hadn't exactly found anything on Renato. He had, however, found a way to get more information. Gokudera shrugged and exited the messy library, now focused on getting a much needed meal.

Oh well. Any information at all would be good enough.

* * *

><p>"Kufufu… I have a new goal, my dear minions."<p>

It was dark in one of Sicily's many shady looking abandoned buildings. Mukuro's ever faithful followers had gathered there once their leader had returned from the Vongola mansion and called for a meeting.

"What is it, Mukuro-sama? Are we going to take over the world, byon?" Ken asked excitedly.

"Ken. Quiet. Let Mukuro-sama finish speaking." Chikusa murmured as he pushed up his glasses.

"Kufufu, thank you Chikusa. Now while I was away on accursed mafia business, I happened to overhear an extremely interesting conversation. It appears there was another Vongola heir even more powerful than our dear Tsunayoshi," Mukuro explained. "If we pretended to help those moronic Vongola and found him first, I could take over his body. It would make destroying the mafia and taking over the world so much easier!"

Ken, Chikusa, and Chrome applauded their leader's brilliant plan. It made perfect sense! Instead of possessing the weaker boss candidate, why not possess the stronger one with more experience?

"Th-that's a very good plan, Mukuro-sama," Chrome stuttered. Both boys nodded their agreement.

"When do we get started, byon?"

The pineapple-haired illusionist leered at his pawns and clapped his hands together. "Soon enough. First, we must meet with those despicable mafioso!"

* * *

><p>Yamamoto shifted uncomfortably at the grave demeanor on the CEDEF member's faces. How had the atmosphere in the room managed to change so drastically?<p>

When Yamamoto had first arrived, he'd been welcomed wholeheartedly. Lal and Colonello had greeted him with Spartan kicks to the face. Basil had said a quick hello before leaving with Oregano for training. Even Tsuna's dad had brought him to his office and cheerfully asked if he needed anything.

But when he brought up the subject of Renato, everyone immediately fell silent.

"Yamamoto. Where did you hear about him?" Lal Mirch questioned. There was an uneasy look on her face. She obviously knew about the secret too. Beside the failed Arcobaleno sat Iemitsu and Colonello, who was visiting. They too had serious expressions.

"How do you know about Renato, kora?" Colonello repeated the query.

Yamamoto sighed. Looks like they already knew. That meant he didn't have to play dumb anymore. "He told me himself. But I haven't told anyone about it."

The others' eyes widened in shock. He knew about it? Then why was he asking them a question he already knew the answer to?

As if he read their thoughts, the rain attribute hastily added, "Tsuna wants to find him. He thinks Renato will help him avoid becoming boss."

Colonello snorted, thoroughly amused. "Iemitsu, your son is a dumbass if he seriously thinks Renato will help him with that."

"That's right. The last time I spoke with Renato, he told me he regretted starting that whole mess in the first place. He blames _that incident_ on himself, you know," Lal added.

Iemitsu looked at the infants. "From what you've told me, it sounds like it was his fault."

Lal shrugged. "I suppose it was. If he hadn't been so damn gullible and desperate to escape the title of don, it wouldn't have happened."

Everyone paused to stare at Yamamoto. "Have you warned him already, kora?" The swordsman nodded as he noticed the suspicious glances they were giving him.

"Haha, I'll keep it a secret, I swear!" he laughed nervously.

The CEDEF leader nodded in approval. He stood and clamped a sturdy hand on the youth's shoulder. "If my son asks, we didn't know anything. Got it boy?" Not wanting to be killed, Yamamoto quickly agreed.

"Wonderful! You better be going then! I'm sure they're looking for you," Iemitsu said as he led Yamamoto to the door. "Oh! And be sure to tell my adorable wife and son I said hi!"

When he had left, Iemitsu turned to face the two Arcobaleno. "What do you two think? Will this be a problem?"

Lal shook her head. "It shouldn't be. Renato made sure everything from the past was destroyed. We shouldn't have to get involved."

"That's right, kora! They'll never find him!" the COMSUBIM trainer piped up.

"I suppose it won't hurt anyone," Iemitsu said hesitantly. If these two thought it was harmless, it was okay right? But then why was his Hyper Intuition warning him of something bad about to happen?

* * *

><p><em><strong>Back at the hotel<strong>_

_**...**_

_**..**_

_**.**_

* * *

><p>Tsuna observed the group gathered in the private conference room; Ryohei was covered in bruises and cuts, Lambo looked scarred for life, Hibari looked indifferent, Gokudera seemed to be thrilled about something, Mukuro was seated in a corner far away from everyone looking smug, and Yamamoto's laid-back aura had returned.<p>

"So I take it you guys didn't find anything either?"

Most of them shook their heads, except for Gokudera that is. He stood up and waved around an old book excitedly.

"Tenth! Tenth! Take a look at this!"

Tsuna eyed the huge volume warily. He didn't like big books very much. "What is that, Gokudera-kun?"

"It's a book on the Vongola's special bullets Tenth! I found one that might help us!" he shouted as he set the book down on the table. "Take a look at this one!"

The brunette peered down at the text and illustrations. "The Ancestor Bullet?" he mused as he flipped the page over for more information. Upon reading the rest of it, his eyes widened and he gasped in surprise. "It lets anyone with Vongola blood talk to the past bosses?"

"That's right Tenth! I already took the liberty of er... borrowing one of these bullets from the Ninth! I was thinking we could use it to ask those guys!" Gokudera said eagerly.

"That's amazing, Gokudera-kun! You're a real lifesaver!" Tsuna said as he beamed at his guardian. Gokudera grinned in response. "Take that baseball idiot!" he silently cheered. Gokudera: 1. Any other candidates for right hand man: 0.

"That's pretty smart of you, Gokudera!" Said baseball fanatic laughed. The other guardians nodded in agreement. Mukuro sneered at Tsuna as he stood up and held out a hand.

"Kufufu, I would be more than happy to shoot you Tsunayoshi-kun."

"HIIIEEE! No way! Someone else do it!"

In the end, they reluctantly came to the decision that Hibari, of all people, would be the one to do it. Gokudera had protested adamantly, but when Tsuna had requested him to do it, the dynamite user had paled and declined saying he could never hurt the precious Tenth.

Hibari stared at the gun indifferently. He shrugged and raised the weapon so it was aimed right at Tsuna's forehead.

The brunette gulped apprehensively at the older male's actions. Was the bloodthirsty skylark really the best choice? Tsuna sighed in defeat as he realized that yes, he was. Ryohei's aim was terrible, Gokudera wouldn't shoot him, Mukuro would probably find a way to kill him in the process, Yamamoto had already declined, and Lambo was still too young.

As he felt the barrel of the gun pressing down on his temple, Tsuna shut his eyes tightly and prayed that he would survive this. He didn't want to die yet!

"Hmph. You better be ready, herbivore."

Too terrified to even utter a reply, Tsuna nodded and continued to keep his eyes shut. He stayed silent and waited for the noise that would bring with it either death, or another clue.

**_Bang!_**

* * *

><p><strong>Cliffie! Yes I know, many of you will want to shoot me for that. It'll get there. Eventually. Ready for some Vongola Primoprevious bosses/Tsuna mayhem? :D **

**Haha I love writing Varia and Giglio Nero antics. Can you guys tell? **

**I'm currently tweaking a few things since I want this story to somewhat follow the manga. So be patient!**

**Review review review! My 20th reviewer is gonna get something special... (and it's not a chapter dedication this time, LOL.)**

**[Praise? Criticism? Violent reactions? Review and let me know! They make me update faster...]**


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